VIRGINIA
Loudon Times-Mirror
By Mark V. Serrano,Abuse Tracker Advocate for Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Board member, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Lansdowne
11/01/2005
There are many things that should concern parents and citizens about the child pornography case against the Rev. Father Robert Brooks, former pastor of Saint John the Apostle Catholic Church in Leesburg who will be sentenced Dec. 12 after pleading no contest to a child pornography charge.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials caught Father Brooks as “part of ICE's Operation Predator, a nationwide initiative to safeguard children against Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, child sex tourists, and human traffickers.”
Child pornography is an inherently heinous crime. Those photographed boys and girls have, by definition, all been sexually exploited and abused even before the camera shutter goes off. Many are enslaved, drugged and forced into prostitution.
It is incumbent on Bishop Paul Loverde of the Arlington Diocese to take action to safeguard children immediately in the wake of Father Brooks’ prosecution.
Posted by kshaw at November 3, 2005 04:56 PM